Grade 7 Unit 3: Folk Music and Arts

Grade 7 Unit 3: Exploring Folk Music and Arts, Philippines and Southeast Asia

• The central question is: How do the folk music and arts of the Philippines connect with those of selected Southeast Asian countries?
• Lesson 1: Harmonizing Cultures: Folk Music Artistry Across Southeast Asia
• Borobudur is a Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia.
• The class will be divided into four groups: Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand.
• Students will research a traditional folk song for their assigned country.
• This includes researching the song's history, cultural importance, interesting stories, and traditional instruments used.
• Students will practice singing or playing the folk song as a group.
• Students will create a presentation about their research, including details of history and cultural significance.
• Students will highlight unique aspects of the music.
• Students will practice performing their folk song as a group, focusing on capturing the essence and style of the music.
• Each group will present their folk song and explain its significance to the class.
• Southeast Asia includes the Indochinese Peninsula/Mainland (Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos) and Insular Southeast Asia (Malaysia, East Timor, Singapore, Brunei, Archipelagos of Indonesia, Philippines).

Regional Characteristics

• The region has a tropical climate, often hot and humid.
• The climate creates a rich variety of spices and exotic goods, including rice, rubber, and petroleum.
• Traders and explorers were attracted to these resources.

Historical Influences

• India established trade and commerce in Southeast Asia, introducing traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
• Portuguese and Dutch traders converted parts of the region into colonies and had minimal cultural influence.
• Britain and France colonized and traded in parts of the region.

General Characteristics of Music in Southeast Asia

• Musical instruments are often made from natural materials found in the region (bamboo, wood, metal).
• Music often reflects animism, with chants and songs dedicated to nature and spirits.
• Music often focuses on agriculture, from rice planting songs to harvest songs.
• Some songs are prayers for a good harvest.
• Metal gongs are frequently used to communicate with or honor spirits, and often accompany rituals or processions.

Indonesia's Gamelan Ensemble

• Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world.
• The Gamelan ensemble uses bronze gongs.
• Gamelan instruments are seen as sacred and have supernatural powers.
• Musicians treat instruments with respect and do not step over them before playing (or during a performance).
• Instruments include bronze or iron idiophones (known as metallophones).
• Key instruments (e.g., gong ageng, bonang, saron barung, gambang, rebab, and kendang).
• The tuning system includes Slendro (octave divided into five equidistant tones) and Pelog (seven-tone tuning).

Thailand's Piphat Ensemble

• Piphat is the country's most well-known ensemble.
• It features in theater performances, rituals, funerals, and court events.
• Musical pieces are continuous, busy, and non-directional.
• Double-reed aerophones/tuned idiophones are used.
• Keyed xylophone called the ranat ek is prominent.
• Two sets of the larger, lower-pitched khawng wong yai (basic melodies) and higher-pitched khawng wong lek (faster and more ornate melodies).
• The ching (a cup-shaped instrument) plays accents.

Cambodia's Pinpeat Ensemble

• Cambodian music often accompanies events, festivals, and rites.
• It is performed by the Pinpeat ensemble, which is one of the oldest ensembles.
• It employs a total of eight to ten instruments.
• Classified as "gong-chime" music.
• The instruments are similar to Thailand's Piphat Ensemble, but instruments have different names.

Vocal Music in Southeast Asia

• Southeast Asia has a rich vocal music tradition.
• Songs, traditions, and stories are often taught orally, passed down through listening and constant practice.

Kulintang

• A musical ensemble from The Philippines.

Explore the rich folk music and arts of the Philippines and Southeast Asia in this engaging unit. Through group research and presentations, students will uncover the cultural importance and unique instruments of traditional folk songs from selected countries. Join in the excitement of singing and playing these melodies while discovering harmonious cultural connections.